Those few shouts immediately drew everyone’s eyes over.
The owner of Book Sea Pavilion felt something was very wrong and hurriedly tried to leave, only to find himself blocked in by a wall of people with no way to escape.
What’s more, Gu Baoshu was standing squarely in front of him, dead in the way.
Gu Baoshu folded her arms, legs braced as if she were about to start a full-on brawl. Qin Heng quickly reminded her in a low voice, "Sister Baozhu, you absolutely mustn’t give yourself away."
Brother Ximen and the others were nearby; if they recognized who she really was, the whole plan would fall through.
Gu Baoshu gave a light cough, turned her face away and ordered the guard at her side to block the man and not let him leave. She herself put one hand on her hip, stretched out a forefinger and shrilled at the owner of Book Sea Pavilion, "Out with it, what exactly are you doing here? Are you here to wreck Ranxiang Inn’s event, or to threaten Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang? Think carefully before you speak."
The onlookers in the outer circle were all noble ladies. They had arrived late and were all waiting to see Young Master Nantang appear.
When they heard someone wanted to harm the Young Master Nantang they’d been yearning for, they all crowded over, chirping noisily.
The owner of Book Sea Pavilion hurriedly refuted her.
"You mustn’t talk such nonsense. This is the Emperor’s own Capital City, not some place where reason counts for nothing. Is it that just because I came out to watch the fun, in your eyes that means I’m here to make trouble for Ranxiang Inn and to plot against Mr. Songshan and the others? How absurd! How overbearing!"
He flicked his sleeve, intending to leave.
But he couldn’t move an inch.
On the outer ring Qin Heng and Xiao Dong were shouting at the top of their lungs, "Terrible, terrible! The people from Book Sea Pavilion can’t afford to lose, they’ve come here to stir up trouble, and they even want to kidnap Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang to make them publish poetry collections for them. When the gentlemen refused, they started having wicked thoughts. No wonder people say ’no merchant without guile’; Book Sea Pavilion is really far too improper."
The owner of Book Sea Pavilion was so furious his face turned greenish-white, and he gnashed his teeth. "Ignorant brats, spewing nonsense and besmirching my name."
The Shopkeeper of Book Sea Pavilion had somehow rounded up a bunch of people to protect the master. Hearing his master shouting inside the crowd, he immediately let out a tragic wail: "Under this bright and upright heaven, at the very foot of the Emperor, long life to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, do you people still have any respect for the law or not? Where are the officials of the Five Cities Military Department? Hurry and come uphold justice for us powerless, influence-less merchants!"
Gu Baoshu raised her voice even louder.
"I should be asking whether you lot still have any respect for the law. Today is Her Majesty the Empress Dowager’s birthday. If you’re going to bring people here to wreck my Ranxiang Inn’s garden party, at least look at the date. Don’t think that just because only you Book Sea Pavilion people can do business with scholars, you can run wild. Mr. Songshan is merely here to lecture on statecraft; what exactly are you jumping up and down here for?"
Qin Heng also put on a pained look. "I too know that since ancient times scholars belittle one another, and two tigers cannot share one mountain. Originally, Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang only agreed to help Sixth Master Gu publish a poetry collection out of regard for the Dingbei Marquis Mansion. Besides, it was Book Sea Pavilion that first turned up its nose at them. Sixth Master Gu had no choice but to print it himself, and he never pursued your rude mocking of the Marquis Mansion.
Who would have thought Book Sea Pavilion would then come snatching for this business again? The gentlemen could not stomach your bullying and your insult to learning, so they decided to lecture on statecraft in front of Ranxiang Inn’s doors.
If you won’t stay home and look after your own Nine-Turn Lotus Lamp, what are you doing here?"
Xiao Dong said angrily, "It’s only because the Dingbei Marquis Mansion is easy to talk to. If it were some other marquis’s house, would they let him run wild like this?"
As the saying goes, commoners do not fight officials.
The owner of Book Sea Pavilion had indeed passed the Advanced Scholar exam, but had not entered officialdom. By rights he ought to show particular respect to the Dingbei Marquis Mansion.
But he had close dealings with the Advanced Scholars of his year who had entered office, and he had gone into the business of writing statecraft essays, so he was very well-connected in official circles. Taking pride in his identity as a scholar, he especially looked down on military generals, which was why he refused to print a poetry collection for Sixth Master Gu, setting off all this trouble.
As for these grudges and rights and wrongs, the Dingbei Marquis Mansion had already been generous by not pursuing the matter. Yet he still went around telling the story everywhere as a joke.
He had never imagined that Shen Changle would be so capable. With just a bit of guidance from Qin Yuan, she managed to build up such a huge business, which already made him very uncomfortable, and now they were going to continue lecturing on statecraft. This was digging at his very roots.
The owner of Book Sea Pavilion couldn’t outshout these three. The more excessive their words became, the more flustered he grew.
The Dingbei Marquis Mansion’s in-law was the National Academy Sacrificial Officer.
This time, with Firefly Collection selling like crazy, the Imperial College Doctors had also put out an anthology of ancient poems, collecting verses on fireflies from ancient times to the present to respond to Firefly Collection. Sold together, the two volumes greatly boosted many people’s reputations, and even more so made Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang famous throughout the land.
If they were allowed to succeed in their lectures on statecraft as well, and with the National Academy Sacrificial Officer backing them, part of the business of printing statecraft essays would inevitably be swallowed up.
What infuriated him even more was that people like Qin Siyuan had used the poetry collection to make a name for themselves. When they entered officialdom in the future, things would naturally go more smoothly for them than for others. They would, of course, in turn sing the praises of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion’s bookshop.
Although the Dingbei Marquis Mansion had not yet opened a bookshop, it was obvious they would.
If today he was saddled with a reputation for being jealous of the worthy, and this affected Book Sea Pavilion’s poetry contest, he would have even less room to fight back.